The Angry Store

If there is one thing architects never seem to have quite enough of, it’s time. Rarely are there enough hours in the day to sleep, eat, socialize and design a career-defining architectural landmark — but we do our best to make every second count. Perhaps that is why so many architects are fascinated by timepieces and have switched buildings with watches on their drawing boards over the years. From Gehry to Graves, each watch in this collection reflects its designer’s architectural ideals and reveals their love for the detail-oriented challenges of industrial design. Waste no time in admiring these classic clock faces:

Designed for classic high-end brand Fossil, the unconventional display on Gehry’s watch merges digital technology with a hand-sketched aesthetic. It also offers owners a characteristically quirky way to tell the time: rather than 2:49, the watch above reads “11 til 3.”

This minimalist timepiece by Italian designer Denis Guidone — who studied architecture and urban planning in both Milan, Italy and Oporto, Portugal — is defined by light. Both minute and hour hands leave a trail of light in their wake, transforming the clock face into an abstract artwork.

American architect Richard Meier designed this wearable homage to his High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia. The pale, semi-opaque clock face and minimal detailing evokes the modernist aesthetic of one of Meier’s most well-known buildings, and can be illuminated to read the time after dark.

The multi-skilled Max Bill was an architect, industrial designer, artist and graphic designer who studied under Wassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee at the Bauhaus in Dessau in the late 1920s. His watch design reflects the philosophies of the famous school and incorporates a minimal display, carefully crafted details and beautiful materials.

Swiss architect Mario Botta’s buildings are characterized by bold forms and distinctive geometry, and so is the Botta 2 Watch. The clock face is encircled by a thick gray band that frames a minimal display — evoking the circular centerpiece of the architect’s original design for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

For his contribution to the Projects range of watches, the late Michael Graves was uninterested in confining himself to the straight-laced look adopted by many of the other architects on this list. The American master of Postmodernism opted instead for a bold combination of three-dimensional geometry and vivid colors, with a cube of azure seemingly floating in a sea of brushed chrome.

Arquitectonica cofounder Laurinda Spear’s watch displays a radical interface that does away with numbers and hands. Each ring on the abstract clock face rotates in time with the hours, minutes and seconds, mimicking the celestial orbit of planets around the Sun.

Former Black Eyed Pea and occasional industrial designer Will.i.am’s multi-use, high-tech wristband didn’t go down so well with the critics at Gizmodo, Mashable or The Verge — but did you know that star architect Zaha Hadid created a special edition of the Puls cuff? The British-Iraqi architect’s version has a striking sculptural form, but perhaps those who look for a well-functioning smartwatch should look elsewhere…

Ah, that familiar, new-year feeling. You wake up with a glint in your eye and hope in your heart looking forward to a fresh start and a prosperous year ahead! Then, you remember … you’re still an architect. Well, there’s nothing like a good new year’s resolution to focus the mind and stoke one’s motivation once more — here are a few for starters. Good luck, my fellow stalwarts. We can do this.

1. Sketch More

By now, it has become something of a clichéd rallying cry, but the assertion that “drawing isn’t dead” remains as true as ever. Computer renderings have their place — despite an awful lot of bad press in recent times — but for the fluid articulation of ideas and the communication of concepts to clients, nothing beats a good, old-fashioned sketch. Sharpen those pencils and make sure everyone in your studio has one, from director to intern.

2. Be True to Your Materials

With a plethora of new building technologies and composite materials now available, it can be tempting to mold homogenous, sculpted buildings that look like gargantuan 3D-printed models. However, some of the very best projects to emerge in recent months prove that the textured qualities and structural properties of raw materials — be they steel, timber, or stone — still produce timeless results, and this will remain the case in 2016 and beyond.

Left: Zaha Hadid Architects’ original proposal for the Tokyo National Stadium courtesy of Methanoia; right: Kengo Kuma’s replacement courtesy of the Japan Sport Council

3. Listen Carefully

… to everyone from city councils and mayors to local residents writing on your firm’s social media page. In a digital age when everyone’s voices can be heard, design is becoming increasingly democratic, and architects will retain their cultural relevance by taking all viewpoints into account. Last summer’s Tokyo Stadium debacle proved that opinions count no matter where they come from, and every firm will do well to keep its ear to the ground for major public projects in the coming year.

4. Be a Social Catalyst

Despite what some might say, an emphasis on socially conscious design surely was one of the greatest strengths of Chicago’s inaugural Architecture Biennial. Many exhibiting firms illustrated the potential for architects to have a hugely positive impact on the social and environmental challenges of today’s metropolises — from Tatiana Bilbao’s modular homes in Mexico City to the aqueous ingenuity of UrbanLab’s Filter Island for Chicago in the United States. Firms should look to get more involved in city-scale solutions like these in 2016.

A sketch from Slow Manifesto: Lebbeus Woods Blog courtesy of the Estate of Lebbeus Woods

5. Read More

With the working hours that architects tend to keep, it can prove difficult to keep your eyes open long enough for a bedtime read. However, if you can allocate only 10 minutes of quiet time to flick through a few pages at the end of each day, there is a host of fresh architectural literature out there to inspire you: for starters, check out Lebbeus Woods’ full repertoire of theoretical musings in Slow Manifesto, Phaidon’s book on Japanese houses, or Tom Kundig’s latest sketch-filled volume simply entitled Works.

“Late Entry to the Chicago Public Library Competition,” Design With Company, Chicago, 2015

6. Design With Humor

Architects have a reputation for being pretty serious, but a little humor can go a long way to providing an insightful commentary on the state of urban issues today. For evidence, just look to Design With Company, whose satirical exhibits at the Chicago Architecture Biennial provoked fascinating discussions about the role of politics within the built environment — and how architects might use their trade to rally against bureaucracy and corruption.

7. Talk More

The best architects let their designs do the talking and will undoubtedly continue to do so throughout 2016. However, there is also great value to be found in conversation, whether that is via a live stream on Facebook, a seminar at your nearest university, or even a TED Talk by the likes of Thomas Heatherwick, Bjarke Ingels, or Architizer’s own Marc Kushner. Architects can communicate their value and promote great design by telling stories, encouraging people to ask questions about the built environment that surrounds them. Sometimes — just sometimes — it’s good to talk.

8. Break With Programmatic Convention

Cross-programming is nothing new, of course: Rem Koolhaas combined functions to activate social spaces in buildings such as the Seattle Library. However, with urban locations reaching critical new levels of density, the advantages of mixing typologies have never been clearer. Think: BIG’s power-plant-cum-ski-slope in Denmark or OPEN Architecture’s school/farm combination in China. As the population of cities continues to explode, it’s time to get radical with programming.

9. Enter a Competition … and Win

Many have lamented the value of open architectural competitions by citing the high entry rates for projects such as the Guggenheim Helsinki to question exactly how financially viable these contests are to firms. However, if your budget permits, I’m calling for a little optimism on this front: pioneering studios such as Snøhetta were effectively launched on the back of key competition victories, and there are sure to be many more commissions for major public projects up for grabs in the coming months. Remember: you’ve got to be in it to win it!

10. Travel More

With the wonderful world of Instagram at our fingertips, you could be forgiven for thinking that ample architectural inspiration can be found without ever leaving your home or studio. However, when it comes to subtle textures, atmospheric spaces, and beautiful details, there is no substitute for traveling to experience architecture in person. Cities like New York are full of hidden gems just waiting for you to cast your critical eye over in 2016. Whether it is a simple walk around the block or a plane ride to the other side of the world, travel more this year!

It is almost a quarter of a century since the first ever website was published by Tim Berners-Lee, the architect of the World Wide Web. Since then, the internet has become almost as integral to our everyday lives as the air we breathe. It is vital to almost every business on the planet, a key pillar of our collective workflow, and used for everything from communication and coordination to marketing and management (in between watching videos of cats, obviously).

The Web is ubiquitous, and architects know this better than anyone. The question is: are we harnessing its full potential? We can now make the internet work for us more powerfully than ever, and the overriding goals are grouped into five broad categories:

Self promotion

In-house efficiency

Research and resources

Transparency and trust

Education and inspiration

Using these key points as the benchmark, we look at six simple ways the internet can help empower architects in the modern digital age.

1. Sell yourself – Viral marketing

Good for: Self promotion; Transparency and trust; Education and Inspiration.

Over the past decade, social media has become synonymous with online promotion, and there is a myriad of ways an architectural firm can use the various platforms to leverage their portfolio and communicate their design ethos to the wider world. Facebook and Twitter have proven to be valuable platforms, both for modest firms such as Studio MM (for whom architect Marica McKeel tweets sketches) all the way up to the goliaths of the profession such as Herzog and de Meuron, owners of a Facebook page with over 186,000 followers.

Bjarke Ingels of BIG is perhaps the best-known architect currently harnessing social media to increase his studio’s reach. A personal Instagram account boasting some 75,000 followers indicates the public truly cares about what the Danish architect has to share, whether it is a work-in-progress shot of Hualien Residences … or his most recent skiing vacation.

2. Make your viewpoint heard – Public relations

Good for: Transparency and trust.

The built environment has always been entwined with politics and ethics, but the Internet has made it far easier for architects to share their perspectives on the more thorny issues relating to practice. The more we communicate our opinions and communicate the reasoning behind both our designs and our business decisions, the more the public will understand and trust the profession.

One firm flexing its PR muscles more than most in recent weeks is Zaha Hadid Architects, adopting a mixture of online mediums to defend their design for the Tokyo National Stadium. While the firm's vociferous protestations have garnered a mixed response from both critics and the general public, it is undeniably refreshing to see a firm being transparent about its processes and encouraging open debate about architecture as a whole.

3. Work like a well-oiled machine – Studio communications

Good for: Research and resources; In-house efficiency.

According to The Verge, “Slack is killing email.” If you are an architect and you haven’t yet considered the web’s hottest app for team communications, chances are you will soon. Slack — together with other online tools designed to improve coordination and efficiency across a host of sectors — has the capability to transform the way firms operate day to day and make it more fun in the process.

4. Perfect your products – Specification tools

Good for: Research and resources; In-house efficiency; Education and inspiration.

Online tools for specifying building components have been around for many years, but few have allowed architects to visualize the quality of materials, detailing, and finish of each individual element in built form. Thanks to the internet, that is now changing as image-driven databases such as Architizer’s Product Catalog link brands with the buildings they are a part of.

A great example of this web-based synthesis is the marriage between Steven Holl Architects and specialist glass manufacturer Bendheim, culminating in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City. With spec sheets and high-res photos just a click away, architects can now specify with much greater confidence, as well as having a convenient single point of contact for a wide array of manufacturers as they compile their detailed drawing packages.

5. Collaborate like a pro – Building information modeling

Good for: In-house efficiency.

This will be nothing new to most firms: BIM has irrevocably altered the landscape of architectural practice, particularly since Autodesk consolidated and streamlined Revit back in 2013. The ability for architects, engineers, contractors, and other parties to share a single, intelligent project model is fast becoming the industry standard. In fact, the use of BIM will be mandatory for all UK public projects as of next year.

More recently, cloud-based applications have increased the power of BIM beyond recognition: architects are now able to access data on energy performance as the model develops using software such asSefaira. Major firms leading the way include Skidmore Owings and Merrill, which utilized BIM from the conception to the completion of One World Trade Center in New York.

6. Tell the world – Articles and interviews

Good for: Self promotion; Transparency and trust; Education and inspiration.

Linking back to the opening point, increasing communication with the public and maximizing transparency across the profession only helps to breed confidence in architects and their value to society. Another way the Web has enhanced our capability to reach out to people is through online forums like Architizer. One such example is Reiulf Ramstad, who gave an in-depth interview that reflected on his design ethos and told the stories behind buildings such as University College Østfold and National Tourist Route Trollstigen.

It is important to remember that architectural journalism need not be left to journalists; architects themselves can provide extraordinary insight into the profession and might just win over a few critics along the way. So get writing, get talking, and, most importantly of all, get sharing: the online world is your oyster …

2 weeks have passed since New York’s Police Commissioner William J. Bratton suggested ripping up the plazas of Times Square in an effort to curb the proliferation of “desnudas” and street performers panhandling in the area. By now, I trust that you have taken the time to consider the terrible effect such a move would have on this vital slice of public space. If you are still in any doubt that the destruction of the plaza would be unwise in the extreme, please take a moment to consider the following.

As Streetsblog Editor Brad Aaron notes, the pedestrianization of Times Square in 2009 ­— an urban planning masterstroke being made permanent by Norwegian firm Snøhetta — has seen this world-famous intersection transformed “from a car-choked mess into a space filled with people and human activity.” Prioritizing pedestrians over cars has proved popular with tourists and locals alike since the idea was first tested, as this video illustrates. Measurable benefits back up those anecdotes: pedestrian injuries have been reduced by 35 percent since the change, and retail rental rates have increased by 30 percent as greater foot traffic has helped shops in the vicinity to thrive.

Of course, such a radical change brings with it some problems. As the New York Times reports, an influx of street performers has begun populating the Square in recent months, with incidents of unsavory behavior making the news: “First came an anti-Semitic Elmo, ranting outside Toys “R” Us. Super Mario groped a woman. Cookie Monster shoved a two-year-old. Con artists began pressing CDs on teenagers. The painted desnudas arrived.” When reflecting on ways to put a stop to these activities, comparisons can be made with a renowned public space across the Atlantic.

Barcelona’s La Rambla, one of the most popular pedestrianized streets in the world, has more than its fair share of pickpockets and con artists, an ongoing issue within many of Europe’s largest cities. Few would argue that this undesirable population has a negative impact on the wider city. Would it be logical, then, to advise the removal of La Rambla’s paved surfaces, merging this vibrant quarter with the rest of Barcelona’s frenetic streets full of traffic, noise, and exhaust fumes?

Such an act would amount to sacrilege in urban design terms, and dismantling the Times Square plaza would be no less nonsensical simply because it was created more recently than Barcelona’s famous avenue. It’s the architectural equivalent of chopping off your arm because you have a paper cut on your finger.

Clearly, mitigation measures for crime or unwanted behavior must revolve around regulation, not destruction. Tighter rules on street performers and an increased police presence may be necessary, along with designated areas for entertainers where public safety can be more easily monitored. Potential solutions to reduce crime and congestion are wide-ranging, and the assembly of a task force to discuss such matters is commendable. Let us be clear, though, the first option to be removed from the table should be the insane proposal to confiscate this plaza from the very people you are trying to protect.

By now, you will be aware that I am not alone in my concern: esteemed critic Michael Kimmelman expressed his dismay at the saga, declaring that Snøhetta’s conversion of “one of the democratic crossroads of the world” has helped make New York “the most progressive city in the country.” Furthermore, a petition created by the Design Trust for Public Space calling for the plaza’s protection amassed 1,600 signatures in just six days, with more to follow.

This is something both the professionals and the public have reached consensus on: they value the increased walkability, improved safety, and vibrant atmosphere created by the plaza, and to perform an act of urban regression after just six years would amount to the ultimate lack of foresight by this great city. With these facts in mind, Mayor de Blasio, please think long and hard before ushering the bulldozers in.

A seemingly never-ending debate exists regarding the authority of architects to dictate design decisions to the wider public. Given that it is those people who will ultimately inhabit and live with the structures we create, what right do we have to tell them what’s good for them? Is our lengthy architectural education enough to negate their lay perspective, assuming they will trust in our professional judgment, specialist knowledge, and theoretical standpoints? Do we really know best?

Of course, the optimistic amongst us will be confident that our thorough education and subsequent years of professional experience puts architects in the best position possible to shape the built environment for the benefit of society as a whole. However, simply producing great designs is not enough; the clear communication of those designs is critical to winning the support of our clients, local residents, city councils, and the public at large.

Zaha Hadid’s recent loss of the 2020 Olympic Stadium commission in Tokyo is a notable example of what can happen if we fail to convince each and every one of these influential parties. On the flip side, the collaborative effort undertaken by James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro to realize the High Line goes to show how popular a project can become with the help of ongoing dialogue and input from the local community.

So, what can architects do to enhance their powers of persuasion? Here are five firms who utilize different mediums to communicate their ideas, sometimes to individual clients — and occasionally to a much larger audience.

Bjarke Ingels has developed a sterling reputation as an architectural storyteller, and his firm is particularly well-known for its diagrams, which aim to promote clarity and remove pretension from the design process. A great example is the graphic sequence used to explain the pyramidal shape of the West 57th apartment building in Manhattan.

By now, you will no doubt have seen at least one of the studio’s step-by-step model manipulations. The simple, Sketchup-style renderings are easy to understand, giving clients and the wider public a clear idea of BIG’s project development. While they can sometimes appear formulaic, the diagrams have caught on as an accessible communication device, and dozens of firms have adopted the medium.

We recently reported on the power of models to bring design concepts to life, as Allied Works Architecture prepare to display theirs for all to see in a major new exhibition in Denver. Another firm to harness three dimensions more than most is Richard Meier and Partners, which now has an entire museum dedicated to models of some of its most famous creations, including detailed renditions of the iconic Neugebauer Residence and Smith House.

By allowing people to get up close and personal to these finely crafted works of timber veneer, Meier gives everyone a chance to get under the proverbial skin of each project, and it is safe to say that the clients are much more swiftly convinced of an architect’s intentions when they lay their eyes on these miniature masterpieces.

They aren’t architects themselves, but they have quickly become indispensable to major firms around the globe with their brand of unique and often breathtaking animations of the buildings we envision. Squint/Opera’s team of digital artists create quirky architectural trailers and stills that have that rare ability to make clients smile, a fact that has spawned great success: people buy into big ideas much more easily when they are enjoying themselves!

The principle is encapsulated by the Squint/Opera’s tagline: “Great Stories Told Well.” Firms that have benefited from the studio’s animated box of tricks include the aforementioned BIG, designers of the utopian Europa City on the outskirts of Paris, and international players AECOM, which tapped Squint/Opera to bring its Rio 2016 Olympic Park masterplan to life.

Sure, not every architect is going to rise to such prominence that they can book themselves a slot on the prestigious TED stage, but Thomas Heatherwick’s talk illustrates the potential for multimedia presentations to help tell stories and communicate our ideas to both clients and the wider world. The list of TED speakers from the architectural world is quite something: Frank Gehry, Daniel Libeskind, and Architizer’s own Marc Kushner of HWKN have all taken to the platform in recent years.

The scale of event matters not, though: even in a meeting with developers or the board at your local town hall, these same communication skills can help support your designs. By talking with passion and enthusiasm about your project, you can show genuine belief in what you are proposing. Clients appreciate a candid pitch, and a dash of humor also goes a long way!

Most architects still use Facebook and Twitter to broadcast factual news about their firms. That’s just fine, but Bob Borson of “Life of an Architect” fame has shown that we can do so much more to communicate our working process to clients and a wider audience.

Circa multiple online platforms, Bob paints a detailed picture of studio life, offering thoughts on everything from conceptual sketching techniques to real-world design details. Critic Alexandra Lange nailed it in her article on Dezeen last year, proclaiming: “Social media can do more for architecture than showcase pretty faces and soundbites. Architects need to start thinking of social media as the first draft of history.”

Architecture is afflicted with more academic and professional clichés than any other – our lack of sleep, our addiction to caffeine, and our OCD-levels of perfectionism have been documented to death over the decades. One aspect that encapsulates the architect's stereotype more than any other, though, is fashion – from Corbusier to Foster, iconic figures have worn clothing and accessories that are intrinsically linked to the image of the profession, and have become engrained in the public consciousness.

Are these stereotypes well founded, or are they a bunch of fashionable fallacies that only serve to perpetuate the caricatures of our industry? Read on for the essential guide to get-ups for architects, and decide for yourself if you need to restock your wardrobe.

British firm Wilkinson Eyre is officially joining the high-rise party in England’s capital. Its proposal for Bishopsgate in the heart of the City has been granted planning permission, and the 40-story glass edifice is now due for construction alongside the plethora of novelty silhouettes on London’s burgeoning skyline.

Commissioned by Mitsubishi Estate London, the Bishopsgate and Leadenhall Street Tower will incorporate more than 750,000 square feet of office space together with ground-floor retail and a public viewing platform on the top floor. It has been designed as a series of stacked boxes that diminish in size further up the building, revealing sky terraces reminiscent of BIG’s recently revealed 2 World Trade Center in New York.

Bishopsgate and Leadenhall Street Tower

The renderings reveal the extraordinary proximity of both present and future buildings slated for the business district: the new building will shimmy up next to London’s galleria of nicknamed towers, with Richard Rogers’ Cheesegrater, Norman Foster’s Gherkin, and the Scalpel by Kohn Pedersen Fox all close by. It will also get incredibly intimate with a future skyscraper by PLP Architecture — Wilkinson Eyre’s computer-generated images appear out of date as they still show KPF’s long-forgotten Pinnacle directly behind the new tower.

Bishopsgate and Leadenhall Street Tower

While the architecture of the latest skyscraper is not overtly offensive, Wilkinson Eyre’s images raise questions about the collective identity of London and its increasingly jam-packed “Eastern City Cluster,” an area designated by planners for tall commercial buildings just north of the Thames. Reflecting on PLP’s “steroidal” proposal for 22 Bishopsgate, the Guardian’s Oliver Wainwright recently vented his fears for the city’s skyline, concluding a cutting write-up with near-terrifying pessimism:

“With permissions already granted for many more towers, from the Scalpel to the Can of Ham and a monstrous ‘Gotham City’ mega-block by Make, we can say goodbye to a skyline of individual spires, between which you might occasionally glimpse the sky. With developers calling the shots, while planners egg them on, the future of the City’s silhouette looks set to be a lumpy blancmange.”

Gazing across the Thames toward a rendered preview of 22 Bishopsgate, it is apparent that Wainwright’s “lumpy blancmange” will be made even more dense by Wilkinson Eyre’s new stack of glazed blocks, concealing the tapered form of Richard Rogers’ Cheesegrater once and for all. If Richard Weston’s “contextual tower” — analyzed at length in this article — is completed at 1 Undershaft, the skyline will begin to resemble a single wall of reflective glass, a gargantuan mirror into which the planners will stare and wonder: what has become of this great city?

Of course, the counter-argument is clear. This is a supply-and-demand issue: office vacancy rates in the City are now as low as five percent, and, with clients such as Mitsubishi willing to pay despite sky-high land prices, the growth of London is as rational as it is ridiculous. However, does this mean we must settle for a congealed mass of steel and glass upon the fast-disappearing horizon?

Bishopsgate and Leadenhall Street Tower

Protected viewing corridors toward certain landmarks, such as St. Paul’s Cathedral, have been designed to prevent this swathe of commercial towers dominating every corner of the city’s frenetic center, but many will be asking if this is enough given the rate of change currently being witnessed just north of the Thames. How important is a skyline’s composition? How closely does it correlate with a city’s cultural identity on the global stage, impacting on tourism and the wider economy?

These are not questions that are easy to answer, but they are certainly ones worth asking on the streets of London in the coming years.

You win some, you lose some... but some losses are bigger than others. When Zaha Hadid Architects' contract to design Tokyo's National Stadium for the 2020 Olympics was cancelled last week, it send undoubted shockwaves through the firm – even for a practice as large and successful as Zaha's, this was bad news on an unprecedented scale.

Beyond the caphony of dissent over the project from a host of Japanese architects, including Toyo Ito and Fumihiko Maki, it was ultmately the budget-busting project cost that forced the government's decision. However, Zaha is far from satisfied with the verdict, and has released a thorough 1400-word statement in defense of the scheme and the well-documented troubles that have surrounded it since her firm won an international competition for the commission back in 2012.

Usually I am the first to jump in with an opinion on such matters, but on this occasion I'll leave it to the architects concerned – the floor is yours, Zaha...

ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS: FULL STATEMENT, 28TH JULY 2015

"Our teams in Japan and the UK feel it is necessary to set the record straight on the Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) design for the new National Stadium for Japan, which has been developed to the client’s brief and budget. It is also only right that the Japanese people are fully aware of the reasons for the reported budget increase and, with exactly five years to go until the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Games, the risks involved with delaying the design process and start of construction.

"In 2012 ZHA was selected by a jury of architects and other experts in an international competition of 46 entries to design a new National Stadium for Japan, which would be ready to welcome the world to Japan for the Rugby World Cup 2019 and Tokyo 2020 Games. We were attracted to the competition by Japan’s vision for a new National Stadium that was designed with the flexibility to open with these two great events and go on to host national, international, local and community sport and cultural events for the next 50 to 100 years.

"The design was developed by a joint venture of leading Japanese design offices led by Nikken Sekkei, with ZHA supervising the design development. The team dedicated thousands of hours to develop a design for a new National Stadium to the brief, requirements and budget of our client, the Japan Sport Council (JSC). At every stage over the two years of development, the design and budget estimates were approved by the JSC. ZHA worked proactively to reduce the estimated cost throughout.

"For the first time in the construction of a public building in Japan, a two-stage tender process was used, in which contractors are appointed before being invited to submit cost estimates. As ZHA has considerable experience in this process we advised the JSC that working to an immovable completion deadline, against a backdrop of rocketing annual increases in the cost of building in Tokyo, and in the absence of any international competition, the early selection of a limited number of construction contractors would not lead to a commercially competitive process.

"Our warning was not heeded that selecting contractors too early in a heated construction market and without sufficient competition would lead to an overly high estimate of the cost of construction.

"ZHA also proposed to the JSC that, in this uncompetitive context, reductions to the client’s brief for the stadium, architectural specification and contractor costs would achieve a lower construction price. ZHA has always been prepared to work with the JSC to produce a lower cost design at any time. The budget and design was approved by the Government on 7th July and there was no subsequent request to design a lower cost stadium.

"In response to the high costs quoted by the construction contractors, ZHA and all of the design team worked hard with the JSC to ensure the developing design was delivered to the brief and budget, coming up with many cost-saving initiatives including further changes to the design. We also provided objective guidance on the standard materials and building techniques required to build the Stadium. In our experience the best way to deliver high-quality and cost-effective projects is for the selected designers to work in collaboration with the construction contractor and client as a single team with a single aim. However, we were not permitted to work with the construction contractors, again increasing the risk of unnecessarily high cost estimates and delays in completion.

"On 7th July a JSC report to the Stadium advisory committee, using figures provided by the appointed construction contractors, incorrectly claimed that the design was responsible for most of the increase in budget. ZHA was not informed in advance of this announcement and we immediately contested this incorrect claim with the JSC. Commentary of the report focused on the steel arches within the design. These arches are not complex and use standard bridge building technology to support the lightweight and strong polymer membrane roof to cover all spectator seats, in addition to supporting the high-specification lighting and services that will enable the Stadium to host many international competitions and events in the future.

"The arched roof structure is as efficient as many other major stadia in Japan and the arches allow the roof to be constructed in parallel with the stadium seating bowl, saving crucial construction time in comparison to a roof supported from the seating bowl, which can only be built after the bowl has been completed. The design and engineering teams in Japan confirmed the arches supporting the roof should cost 23 billion yen (less than 10% of the approved budget).

"The increase in estimated budget reported by the JSC is in fact due to the inflated costs of construction in Tokyo, a restricted and an uncompetitive approach to appointing construction contractors and a restriction on collaboration between the design team and appointed construction contractors, not the design.

"The current building boom in Tokyo increasing construction demand, a limited labour supply and the yen’s significant drop in value greatly increasing the price of imported raw materials have all contributed to Tokyo’s construction costs growing dramatically since 2012/2013 when the new National Stadium project was first announced and Tokyo was awarded the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Between July 2013 and July 2015, Tokyo construction costs increased by an average of 25% and are forecast to increase at a similar rate for the next four years.

"Starting the design process again does not tackle any of the fundamental issues that have led to an increased estimate in budget for the National Stadium, which could in fact become even more problematic due to the significant further delay in starting building. Construction costs will continue to rise towards the immovable deadline of the Tokyo 2020 Games Opening Ceremony in exactly five years.

"In addition to increasing design and construction costs, due to the rising cost of building in Tokyo, further delays and a rushed design process, led by a construction contractor, risk producing a lower standard National Stadium with limited future usage. Other examples around the world show us that a lower quality stadium could require substantial further investment to be converted for long-term use after 2020, when construction costs will be even higher.

"The public, Government and design team have invested in a design that can be delivered through a more competitive procurement process and collaborative approach from construction contractors, within the budget now proposed by the Government and in time to host the Rugby 2019 World Cup.

"We have always been, and still are, prepared to use the expertise and knowledge that has been developed to work with the JSC to produce a lower cost design to a change in specification.

"Ten days after receiving formal approval of the design, ZHA learned through news reports of the cancellation of the commitment to deliver the approved design for the new National Stadium and commitment for the venue to be ready in time to host the Rugby World Cup 2019. Subsequently we received a brief official notification from the Japan Sport Council (JSC) of their cancellation of the contract to design the New National Stadium in Tokyo.

"ZHA remain committed to a flexible and cost-effective new National Stadium that would be ready to welcome the world to Japan for the 2019 Rugby World Cup and become a new home for sport in Japan for many generations to come. The Japanese people, Government and design teams in Japan and the UK have invested a huge amount of time, effort and resources to deliver an adaptable design that can meet the brief and budget set by the Government for a new National Stadium.

"To reduce the risk of further increases in costs, the venue not being ready in time for the Tokyo 2020 Games and being of lower quality, the Prime Minister’s review should build on the investment in the detailed design knowledge already established and focus on the need for construction contractors to work in partnership with this expert team.

"We have written to the Prime Minister to offer our services to support his review of the project with the current design team. ZHA has also outlined how making use of the significant investment in detailed design work already carried out offers the most cost-effective solution to create the best new National Stadium for the people of Japan for the next 50-100 years.

"In the coming weeks we also plan to share, in Japan and across the international design community, the many innovative solutions achieved through the years of work and investment that has gone into the design for the National Stadium."

Share Zaha's staunch defence by hitting those big blue and red buttons below, and make sure to give us your thoughts – however spiky – over on the Angry Architect's Facebook page.

Finally, you are an architect. You studied day and night for 5 to 8 years, giving blood, sweat and tears (sometimes literally) in order to kick-start your dream career. It’s been a long road, but you have made it through the good, the bad and the tortuous times – standing in your cap and gown at graduation, you are the proudest you have ever been. It’s been more than tough, but at least you can now relax a little, knowing you have earned the right to be part of a respected, reliable profession that will protect your status and offer continual work over the coming decade. Or will it?

In the Philippines, it appears things are not so simple. A soon-to-be architect there – who wishes not to be named for – has given an insight into a local struggle for power between architects, civil engineers and the political system, with architects falling victim to out-dated legislation passed just after the Second World War. He states:

This "trend" started after the Second World War, when there was a lack of architects in our country. To compensate for the need, civil engineers were allowed to sign architectural documents. Sadly, it still continues long after the war, until today.

I am still an architecture student, and the future is not good for us architects with other professions grabbing the opportunity that's supposed to be ours. It really hurts to see a civil engineer in the space intended for architects.”

The source provided this photograph of an architectural drawing signed off by the engineer as evidence to support their claims

But, surely there are laws to protect those in the profession? Indeed: the unnamed source knows which regulation should apply, but it seems the government have been turning a blind eye for many decades:

“It's clearly a violation of the law (RA 9266 -- Architecture Law in the Philippines), but it is continuing. The law has no teeth. I just wonder if this problem also occurs in other countries?”

This source’s viewpoint is concerning, but is it an isolated case? Turns out the answer is no, as another source messaged me personally with the following distress signal:

“WELCOME TO AN ARCHITECT'S LIFE IN THE PHILIPPINES.This is our problem: Civil Engineers, who by profession design bridges and roads, also practice architecture. They are commonly hired and commissioned to do medium-end residential and commercial buildings because of their ‘cheap’ professional fees. In fact, they already passed a law allowing them to sign and seal architectural documents.”

“Here in Philippines, civil engineers kind of took over the role of architects, and the worst thing is they and the people don't think it's wrong.”

So, it appears the issue is widespread, and the disquiet amongst Philippine architects is not limited to lone beacons of angst. Are the assumptions about civil engineers being unfit to design architectural projects unfair? Are these comments a reflection of the arrogance and self-entitlement perceived by many outside of our profession? I would argue that the discontentment is well founded – but we must examine why, and seek ways in which to resolve the situation within discrediting others in the construction industry.

In the UK, an architect is not technically required to design a building – as long as a structure passes the planning application process and complies with building regulations, it can go ahead. The key here for architects is to make clients aware of the added value an architect can bring to their project – we must make our case convincingly, so that clients choose us and understand the great benefits of doing so.

By creating a building with a well functioning layout, considered specifications and beautiful detailing, the overall value of the finished product should comfortably outweigh the cost of architects’ fees. Further to this, an architect’s input can result in more robust buildings that require less maintenance, and energy-efficient designs that reduce running costs over the lifetime of the building – these are areas where an architect’s worth becomes clear in the long-term, making us better value than those Philippine civil engineers, even with their “cheap professional fees”.

Of course, could be argued that many of these aspects – quality detailing, robust structures, and energy efficiency, for example – can be produced to a high standard by engineers in the digital age, thanks to the power of BIM. Final year architecture student, long-time Angry Architect follower and astute commentator Xander Van Helden spoke to the subject on a recent facebook post, with a well-worded and fairly derisory view on what he calls “commercialist architecture”:

“Civil engineers can indeed design building, but they tend to think rationally, in figures and fixed budgets. Any BIM-oriented tool, in the right hands of engineer, becomes a tool for "generation with standardized elements". The result of this is a simplification of the role of architect as an independent designer. I doubt it should be called architecture.”

Another Philippine user sent in this image of a civil engineer's online portfolio on social media, in which they refer to themselves as "designer" - not "architect" in the legal sense, but nonetheless explicitly claiming authorship of the entire work. It raises the question, what place do architects have in the Philippines?

Significantly, Van Helden also points out the fact that commercial clients’ decision to use engineers over architects does not achieve the one thing they want more than anything else – to reduce costs. Unless a very experienced (and more expensive) contractor is used for such projects, the absence of an architect to oversee the work, manage the design, communicate with consultants and the construction team, and keep a handle on quality control can lead to a higher final bill. Van Helden notes:

“We may say that it is right as it saves money, it makes things easier for contractors; but at the same time the progress seems to be less evident.Any progressive thinking in architecture like Parametricism struggles to get through that ‘comfort zone’, remaining expensive and complex to be built without significant attention and development from contractors.”

In conclusion, as a profession we must recognize that we are selling a service that is not necessarily so tangible to those outside of the industry, or to less design-conscious members of the public. The profession is no longer protected as it once was; we must fight to remain relevant and remind people of the qualities that the profession can bring to the built environment, and to their everyday lives.

It is up to us to communicate our value, so that those choosing to spend their increasingly tight budgets do not see architects as a luxury, but as an essential component of their project: not only are we creative, we are also dependable, organized, efficient, communicative, competent, innovative and, most of all, professional. All of these things combined make us great value, in every sense of the word. We are worth it.

Let’s get that message across, in the Philippines and across the globe.

By now, you are probably aware of last week's big news – Japan has performed a U-turn on their 2020 Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, rejecting Zaha Hadid's competition-winning design and calling for a return to the drawing board for a more context-sensitive solution. On the one hand, it seems sensible to rethink a project with a ballooning budget and an extraordinary sense of scale (it's gigantic) – on the other, one might feel a pang of sympathy for Zaha, who appears to have been led a merry dance during the whole process.

Either way, we can at least rejoice that some good has come out of the whole sorry situation – the lost stadium has gained new life as a multi-purpose meme, as The Japan Times notes (check out this link for full credits on these 'creative' images).

Which is your preferred new use for this year's biggest white elephant in architecture? Tell us over on Facebook. In mean time, check out what a bit of photoshop and the power of the internet can conjure up...

Renzo Piano is most famous for the Pompidou in Paris, the Shard in London, and more recently, the timeless Valetta City Gate in Malta. However, come summer, it seems the Italian designer is a sucker for sandcastles as much as the rest of us, as he explained to The Guardian's Rosanna Greenstreet. Of course, as an architect, Piano knows such things cannot be whimsically constructed without a gret deal of precision and forethought, and he's outlined the 4 key steps to create a little icon on the beachfront. Read on and create your own piece of sandy perfection...

1. Be clear about the fact that building a sandcastle is a totally useless operation. Don’t expect too much; it’s going to disappear, mainly because there’s no point making the castle too far away from the sea. A sandcastle’s relationship to water is more important than its appearance. Study the waves, then decide where to position your castle – too low on the shoreline and the sea will immediately destroy it, too high and you have no waves to flirt with. It sounds complicated but it’s simple and instinctive.

2. Start to dig a ditch where the waves have made the sand wet. Use your hands. Build the sand up to create the mass of the castle, which is really a little mountain with an incline of, ideally, 45°. You don’t need the ditch to be more than 30cm deep and 45cm wide, and the castle should be about 60cm tall.

3. Make an entrance in the ditch for the sea to enter. The magic moment is when the waves come and the ditch becomes a moat. If the castle is in a good position, you can watch the water ebbing and flowing for 10 or 15 minutes. To capture the image in your memory quickly, close your eyes when the water comes in.

4. Then put a little flag or anything else you can find on the sandcastle, just to make it visible to people running on the beach. Go home and don’t look back.

Tight deadlines, public presentations, keeping up with countless clients, consultants, and contractors … as an architect, one can get pretty burnt out during the heat of summer — I for one could do with taking off into the wilderness once in a while! Of course, when it comes down to it, I’m still a sucker for great architecture, even in the most remote of locations, so these 10 retreats are the kinds of places that I’d love to unwind.

No doubt I’ve missed a few gems, so if you have any hideaways you feel should have made the list, make it known in the usual place: facebook.

Oslon Kundig Architects – get used to this name, because you’ll be seeing more of it during the course of this article. Why? Because Tom Kundig is the undisputed king of cabins in the woods. His firm’s expertise combine refined, modern detailing with rugged, reclaimed materials to spectacular effect, and the writer’s cabin at False Bay on San Juan Island is a perfect example. The timber deck on three sides folds up using one of Kundig’s famed lo-tech mechanisms, allowing the cabin to be secured when not in use – and adding a playful aspect to this secluded glass box.

Enormous boulders are usually viewed as a major site constraint by your average architect – but the work ofUhlik Architekti is far from average. Their jaunty cabin rests gently upon a stone, with stepped seating built into a raised portion to utilize the structure’s idiosyncratic internal geometry. Situated deep in a Bohemian wood, the cabin’s external walls are clad with charred timber to create a protective layer, and shutters conceal the glazing when not in use – this is architecture as object, perfected.

Situated in Graubünden, Switzerland, Zumthor’s acclaimed spa resort is tucked away in the Alps, allowing for immense relaxation and an architectural geek-out session to boot. More akin to a piece of archaeology than a work of contemporary architecture, the baths form a cave-like structure hewn directly from the mountain, becoming one with the surrounding land — Vals has that rare quality of timelessness, acquired the moment it was created.

In Hjerkinn, Norway, Snøhetta showed how parametrics can be utilized without compromising on texture, warmth, and a building's incredible connection with the surrounding landscape. The raw steel frame protects wildlife observers from the elements, while the sculpted timber seating was formed using a combination of traditional building techniques and cutting-edge 3D modeling. Truly beautiful in its simplicity: a modern classic.

Last year, PAD Studio created this splendid wooden vessel for the artist Stephen Turner to spend a year cogitating on the River Beaulieu in Hampshire, England. One should imagine architects would get a kick out of this retreat too though, as the timber engineering is a delight to behold – the construction details took inspiration from techniques used over centuries of British boat-building.

Olson Kundig Architects return to this list with one of their most well-known projects – the Rolling Huts of Mazama in Washington State appear like a herd of animals in the long grass, allowing for simple cabin living in both summer and winter. As he often does, Tom Kundig adopted a modern form (a plethora of I-beams and a cantilevered roof that even Mies Van Der Rohe might be proud of), but the materials used have a muted, textured patina that allows each cabin to blend into the surrounding landscape.

Found in Harads, about 50 kilometers outside of the city of Lulea in northern Sweden, Treehotel is composed of five individually designed "tree rooms," each of which was created in collaboration with leading Scandinavian architects.

Rooms include "The UFO," resembling a flyer-saucer caught in the trees, "The Bird’s Nest," a veritable explosion of twigs, and "The Mirrorcube," which reflects the surrounding landscape in its elevations so perfectly that it appears virtually invisible … the perfect retreat for those who feel the need to disappear completely. Check out the project by Dasshere.

What about escaping from the city … right in the center of the city? David Kohn Architects made this possible with the creation of their temporary art installation "A Room For London" – this hotel for two takes the whimsical form of a boat, stranded on the roof of Queen Elizabeth Hall. The lightweight structure contrasts beautifully with the brutalist concrete building upon which it rests, and it’s even possible to do your best Titanic impression from the building’s prow – “I’m king of the wooorld!”

Strictly speaking, the final Olson Kundig creation to make my list is a full-on house rather than a retreat. However, its remote location and compact form means it shares many qualities of the aforementioned structures, with the addition of some beautifully crafted mechanics for good measure. Cranking the wheel in the center of the house allows the enormous, double-height Corten shutters to slide open, transforming a metal cube into a modernist gem – full-height glazing and cantilevered metal balconies allow inhabitants to connect with the stunning surrounding landscape.

Like the Treehotel structures of Sweden, Baumraum’s elevated structures provide a luxury, modernist take on the treehouse genre. Situated in Uslar, Germany, Treehouse Solling is elevated above a secluded pond on steel stilts, connected to the land via a timber gantry. Ok, so the firm takes liberties with the definition of “treehouse”, with each of their cabins being firmly anchored to the earth – but whatever you want to call it, the Treehouse Solling must be an ideal place to get away from it all.

When questioned over Census figures that showed a rapidly growing disparity between the fortunes of New York City’s haves and have-nots, outgoing Mayor Michael Bloomberg was robust in his response: “If we could get every billionaire around the world to move here, it would be a godsend.”

Bloomberg will no doubt be delighted, then, that a glittering new high-rise slated for construction in midtown Manhattan will provide those incoming billionaires with a place to live. The Landmarks Preservation Commission has recently given permission to SHoP Architects to build its design for a 1,350-foot residential tower at 111 West 57th Street in Manhattan.

The building is most notable for its width, or lack of it—the site is just shy of 45 feet (about 13 meters) across, giving it a width-to-height ratio of approximately 1:30, which could well make it the skinniest residential tower in the world.

This marks a growing trend for skinny ‘scrapers in Manhattan, with Rafael Viñoly’s slender offering on 432 Park Avenue approaching completion. That sliver of real estate gold—another luxury apartment building, naturally—now towers over Central Park at a staggering 1,398 feet. Just down the road, there is the equally high-end, high-priced One57 by Christian de Portzamparc.

These three high-rises not only share a common typology–that of the urban palace–but are also driven by similarly single-minded design briefs, with developers looking to invest in the one key asset lying outside the building’s shimmering walls—that being the view. In this respect, SHoP’s skyscraper is extraordinarily positioned, aligning almost perfectly with the axis of Central Park to the north and the Empire State Building to the south.

Couple this with the fact that every apartment in the upper reaches will take up an entire floor, with full-height glazing to both north and south elevations; the resulting panoramas will be nothing short of jaw-dropping, which has led some to predict that 111 West 57th will be home to New York’s first $100 million apartment.

107 West 57th's proposed lobby

Architecturally speaking, SHoP must be given credit. They have preserved the prized interior of the neighboring Steinway Hall (part of an agreement that enabled developers to snaffle the air rights above it) setting back the main structure from the street and creating a satisfying contrast between its light, glazed lobby and the solidity of the existing historic buildings on either side. Further more, the east and west elevations will be clad with bronze and terra cotta—SHoP partner Vishaan Chakrabarti says this will create an effect that ”sparkles during the day, and has a soft glow at night.”

So the building may have a certain elegance from the exterior, which is fortunate given that the vast majority of New Yorkers will only ever see it from the outside. With potentially just 100 investors having access to its exclusive upper floors, this layer-cake of luxury will be viewed by most as a sparkling monument to New York’s ever-widening financial chasm.

The facade of SHoP's proposed skyscraper

Will the future inhabitants of these air-born mansion houses fuel businesses, create jobs, pay their fair share of taxes, and employ staff on wages that enable them to survive in the vicinity of this extraordinarily expensive city? For Bloomberg’s stance to be vindicated, it is critical that they do: Otherwise, these skyscrapers may only serve to exacerbate a new and potentially dangerous class divide. Fritz Lang’s Metropolis springs to mind, and I imagine most would agree that that dystopian scenario is best left as a work of social, cultural and architectural fiction…

So, I'm frequently asked what makes me so ANGRY. The truth is, I'm not always in a rage... in fact, quite often I'm a veritable ball of sweetness and light! (Within reason of course, I am an architect after all...)

The infamous anger only really occurs only when I see architecture, design, engineering and project managing that is - how do I put this? - at the WRONG end of the intelligence spectrum. This includes everything from a dodgy door handle to an enormous, post-modern mess...

The question is: How can we reduce this source of face-palming frustration? By compiling a handy pamphlet for all concerned, succinctly named:

A QUICK GUIDE: HOW NOT TO ARCHITECT.

Peruse the articles below for examples of what not to do, and feel free to contribute to the collection as you see fit, just send me your photos over on the official Facebook page... for the benefit and continuing professional development of us all, of course. You can thank me later.

ARTICLE 91: The Life Aquatic.

This is the National Fisheries Development Board regional office building in Hyderabad, India.

It is not particularly clear whether the render in this case is supposed to be superior to the FIN-ished article, as is normally the case. What is certain, though, is that the building is shaped like a gigantic fish. Great job guys.

ARTICLE 92: Flower Power.

"Landscape Architecture"

ARTICLE 93: The Wheelchair Challenge.

Accessibility Level: Japanese.

ARTICLE 94: The Dark Side.

Luke, I Am Your Conservatory.

ARTICLE 95: Apostrophe Catastrophe.

It hurt's my eye's.

ARTICLE 96: Urban 'Planning'.

Close enough.

ARTICLE 97: Carpet Catastrophe.

Face-plants are a-coming... Blame the interior designer for this one.

ARTICLE 98: Column Calamities.

Try tilting your head to see this one more clearly... keep going... keep going... keep going... there you go!

ARTICLE 99: The Long Stretch.

Sometimes, small details are of great consequence.

ARTICLE 100: Urban Un-Planning.

Yes, that's an apartment block built in the middle of an EIGHT LANE HIGHWAY in Xi'an, China. I guess it had to go somewhere.

It’s 2015, the year that Marty Mcfly went “Back To The Future” – so its about time that someone invented a working hoverboard. While several promising prototypes have already been produced, car manufacturer Lexus might have designed the most tangible realization of our transportation dreams yet – check out the sneak-peak video of the SLIDE board below…

The jury is out as to whether this is a marketing gimmick or the real deal, but if it becomes a reality – TAKE ALL OF MY MONEY. All of it. Let's do this Lexus.

Alright, I’ll come clean. It’s an optical illusion, but a very clever one at that: A reflective skin of mirrored panels renders the lower façade of Izabelin House almost invisible when viewed from certain angles, giving the impression that the upper floor of the dwelling is levitating in the midst of a remote woodland.

The ground floor of the home is designed to read as an extension of the forest floor, reducing the visual impact of the dwelling and lending an ethereal air to the building’s upper story. The minimalist white box is punctuated with large panels of glazing and a covered balcony for residents to enjoy the luscious surroundings, and timber cladding further connects the building with its context.

The Izabelin House will go down as a stand-out example of mirrored architecture, but REFORM are by no means the first to employ such an intriguing façade treatment. Here are six more examples to reflect on…

MLRP were tasked with converting a run-down park pavilion into a more useable space for children as part of the Interactive Playground Project in Copenhagen, Denmark. The firm aimed to improve the aesthetics of the mixed-use building whilst injecting elements of interactive play into the elevations.

Children can engage with the changing shapes of their own reflections and those of the surrounding environment, transforming an uninspiring structure into a miniature landmark for the local area.

Located in Harads, about 50 kilometers outside of the city of Lulea in northern Sweden, Treehotel is composed of five individually designed "tree rooms," each of which was created in collaboration with leading Scandinavian architects.

Rooms include "The UFO," resembling a flyer-saucer caught in the trees and "The Bird’s Nest," a veritable explosion of twigs, but the most memorable is surely "The Mirrorcube," which reflects the surrounding landscape in its elevations so perfectly that it appears virtually invisible… the perfect retreat for those who feel the need to disappear completely.

I could describe how effective this sweeping mirrored surface is in melding the building with the surrounding rainforest, but frankly, the firm’s own explanation is far more entertaining: Charles Wright Architects “proposed a design which literally reflects the gardens as camouflage for the building, with a visual effect similar to the suit as worn by the alien hunter in the original 1987 Predator film.”

The building appears to form a curious architectural oxymoron: Its organic, wavy form seeks to grab the attention of visitors, whilst simultaneously aiming to blend in with the background like a huge, shape-shifting chameleon. The Visitor’s Centre was awarded Building of the Year by the Australian Institute Of Architects in 2012.

A private commission in Almere Stad in the Netherlands, the façade of this mirrored house was specified to act as camouflage, but also as an obstruction of the view to the internal living spaces, like the windows of a luxury limousine.

Within the building, walls have been constructed from birch multiplex panels, lending the interiors a warm appearance in contrast to the cool, sleek exterior.

The Lookout by Angus Ritchie and Daniel Tyler, Trossachs National Park, Scotland

Students Angus Ritchie and Daniel Tyler conjured this mystical, meditative space using just $7,000 and a material palette of African hardwood, mirrored stainless steel and birch ply. It sits within the dramatic landscape of Trossachs National Park in Scotland, providing a minimalist hideout in which walkers can rest and contemplate the beauty of the surrounding vistas.

The mirrored cube appears as a grounded version of Tham & Videgård Arkitekter’s Treehotel, echoing the reflective qualities of nearby Loch Lomond. When photographed from the correct angle, the building takes on a surreal qualities akin to the work of photographer Laura Williams.

Possibly the greatest architectural illusion of all: stpmj created the invisible barn for the Architectural League’s Folly Competition, coated the surface with super-reflective mylar that makes the structure disappear almost as effectively as James Bond’s invisible car from Die Another Day.

Of course, as with all illusions, all is not quite as it appears: The folly is only three feet wide, its supposed depth exaggerated with a trick of perspective. However, users can still interact with the installation, sitting within contrasting timber-clad apertures to contemplate the barn’s curious, animated relationship with the surrounding park.